Safety attachment eob hatchways



.J. BRIDGE. SAFETY ATTAGHMBNT PoR HATGHWAYS.

No. 17,551. Patented June 16, 1857.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.`

JAMES BRIDGE, OF AUGUSTA, MAINE.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR HATCHWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,551, dated June 16, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BRIDGE, of Augusta, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine. have invent-ed a new and useful Safety Attaclnnent for Hatchways; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to annexed drawings, making a part of this specification. in which- Figure 1, is a Vert-ical section of my iniprovement; (ai). Fig. 2. indicating the plane ot section. Fig. 2 is also a vertical section of ditto; the plane of section passing through the center;-the planes of section of the two figures crossing each other at right angles.

vThis invention relates to a safety attachment to be applied to hatch doors, whereby as the doors are raised guards o1' fenders are thrown automatically into proper position to etfectually prevent persons from accidentally falling through the hatchway. The guards or fenders automatically folding against the under sides of the doors as said doors are closed. so as not to oti'er any obstruction when the hatchway is not in use.

The invention substantially consists in having guards or fenders attached at right angles to arbors or shafts which are fitted in bearings or guides attached to the under sides of the doors nearone end. The arbors or shafts are connected by chains to the liooring and beveled plates are attached to the under sides of the doors. the plates in connection with the springs and chain attachments actuating the guards or fenders as the doors are opened and closed.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a hatchway or the opening made in the flooring through which goods or articles are raised and lowered by a tackle in the usual way.

B, B, are the two doors which are arranged and fitted over the opening A as usual.

C, C, represent guards or fenders which are attached to arbors or shafts D. The

arbors or shafts D are fitted, one to the under side of each door B, and work in guides or bearings (c) (ed) the arbors being allowed to turn in their bearings and the bearings allowed to slide on the arbors. The arbors D are placed near the ends of the doors and a chain (Z1) is attached to t-he end of each arbor D the chains being secured to the flooring. Around each shaft or arbor D. a spiral spring E is placed. One end of these springs is attached to the guards or fenders C, as shown at and the opposite ends bear against. the bearing (d). The guards or fenders C, C, and arbors may be constructed of iron and formed in one piece, cast or wrought iron being used. The guards or fenders project at right angles from the arbors or shafts and may be formed each of t-wo parallel bars (ci) (d) as shown in Fig. l, or they may be arranged or formed in any proper way.

To each door B a plate (c) is attached. These plates have each a curved or iianch lip (f) projecting from it. The edges of the tlanches (f) are of inclined forni and are placed near the arbors l). so that the inner ends of the lower bars (d) of the guards or fenders will bear against the edges of the lanches (fr).

IVhen the doors B, B. are closed as shown in red Fig. 1 the guards or fenders C will be against the under sides of the doors. Then the doors are raised the springs E are compressed, the bearings (a) (a) sliding over the arbors which as the doors are elevated are turned in their bearings by the inclined edges of the flanches (f) and the guards or fenders are consequently thrown outward so as to form -a railing or guard, to the hatchway see Fig. Vl. Then the doors are closed the guards or fenders are thrown back against the under sides of the doors by the springs E. n

By this simple device the hatchway when open will be efficiently guarded, and accidents which now frequently occur will be avoided. The doors may be reta-ined in an open position by any proper means, in the drawings a bar (7L) is pivoted to one end of each door. Said bars having recesses or notches made in them by Which the bars are allowed to catch 0n pins driven in one of the beams of the flooring.

I would remark that this device may be applied to both ends of the doors where necn essary.

Having thus described 1ny invention, What being used in connection with the inclined I claim as new7 and desire to secure by Letflanches (f) and springs E, substantially as ters-Patent, is: described, for the purpose set forth.

The guards 01 fenders C attached to the JAMES BRIDGE. 5 arbors D which are secured to the under Witnesses: f

sides of the doors B and connected with the JAMES F. BUGKLEY, flooring by the chains (b) the above parts SELIM FRAS. COHEN. 

